Cleanable water-heater grid.



M. A. SPEAR.

ULEANABLE WATER HEATER GRID.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1910. I 1 ,01 5,91 1 Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

i k WITNESSES; d I m. a

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MADISON ASA SPEAR, OF NAIPA, CALIFORNIA.

CLEANABLE WATER-HEATER GRID.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 30, 1912.

Application filed November 12, 1910. Serial No. 592,088.

To all 'w 710% it may concern:

Be itlmown that I, MADISON ASA SPEAK, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Napa city, in the county of Napa and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gleam able Tater-Heater Grids, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grids, to support cooking utensils over the flame of a gas or gasolene burner, the various grate members of which grids are made hollow and connected to conduct 'therethrough and heat a water supply; and the objects of my improvement are, flrst,to afford facilities for thoroughly cleaning the water ducts from accumulations of scale, incrustation and mud; and, second to provide such an arrangement of hollow grate bars as will best subserve the water heating capacity and ofler the least obstruction to the action of the flame on the cooking utensils. lVhich objects with others of minor importance I attain by the grid structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the grid, a portion of the top cut away to disclose the arrangement and connection of the water ducts and the means and manner of cleaning them, also, showing a section of the connected water-supply boiler; and Fig. 2, is a vertical section on the broken line 2 of Fig. 1, showing in elevation parts of the connected water-supply boiler and a gas-burner in its relative position to the grid. In all of which similar numerals refer to similar parts.

While other regular polygonal forms may be used, the octagonal plan of grid, as shown in Fig. 1, is believed to be preferable for fully attaining my objects, and is illustrated as an integral piece of iron cast hollow. The outer continuous duct 3 is composed of the eight straight sections 4,4,4, etc., communicably connected together at the angles of the octagon and forms the outer frame of the grid. The eight obliquely radial spokes 5, 5, 5, etc., to form the obliquely radial ducts 6, 6, 6, etc., are disposed right angularly from one end of each side of the polygon or one end of each section of the outer duct; one from each angle in succession around the octagon. Each radial duct is communicably connected with the outer duct and is continued obliquely inward until it is intercepted by and communicably connected with the next in succession toward which it is disposed at an angle of forty-five degrees. Thus the connected inner ends of the radial ducts form an inner continuous octagonal duct 7 each section of which is in direct alinement with one of said obliquely radial ducts. the grid a small octagonal opening 8 directly over the burner 9.

The walls of the outer duct are thickened top, bottom and outside to form the reinforcing junction bosses 10, disposed at the connecting angles of the ducts; and these bosses have through their outer walls the threaded openings 11 in axial alinement with the radial ducts. These threaded openings are all provided with the threaded plug closures 12,except those two at which the ends of the cold water supply pipe 13 and the hot water outlet pipe 14 are connected. The radial ducts which form the cross or inner bars of the grid are triangular or lancet-shaped on the outside in crosssection, as shown at 15 in Fig. 2, in which form they most smoothly divide the flame and allow it to pass up through in continuous contact therewith, without adverse deflections; thereby better beating the duct, also, keeps it cleaner of soot, and passes a clearer hotter flame up against the bottom of the cooking utensil 20 above. On the upper surface of the grid the conical studs 1,1,1,etc., are symmetrically arranged to elevate and support the cooking utensil to give free passage of the gases of combustion between its bottom and the bars of the grid.

As shown in the drawings the grid is connected up with a water supply boiler 16 by the cold and hot water pipes in the usual manner; the direction of circulation being indicated by the arrows. The pipe 13 alined with an obliquely radial duct 6 gives a tangential direction to the current at the inlet and the forked arrow 17 indicates how the directed inflow of cold water is first divided, part flowing into the radial and part taken up by the outer duct. While I have shown the outer duct to be of a capacity equal to the connected water pipes, and the central radial ducts some smaller, these proportions of size need not be strictly adhered to. The usual central disposition of the burner, supported from the stove body '21, as shown, with some forms of burners, may make the This also develops centrally through lation of the water through the grid seems to be perfect in all cases and the grid is a most eflicient water heater; even, when for convenience it is found expedient to connect the pipes to the grid at other relative po- -sitions,ditferent angular openings than shown.

The cut away top in Fig 1 discloses the manner and means of removing scale, in crustation or mud from the ducts. By removing the plugs the smaller drill-pointed bit 18, of size to fit the bore of the radial duct is inserted and the obstructions cut away. In a like manner the similar larger hit 19 is worked through a straight section of the outer larger duct, which is near enough in alinement with the opening to allow the bit to be inserted and operated therethrough as shown.

I claim:

1. A water-heater grid, comprising a centrally disposed continuous duct of polygonal plan, radial ducts in alinement with the sides of said polygonal duct, communicably connected therewith and having threaded openings at their outer" ends, a cold-water supply pipe connected in the threaded opening at the outer end of one of said radial ducts, a hot-water discharge pipe connected in the threaded opening at the outer end of another one of said radial ducts, and a closing plug seated in the threaded opening at the outer end of each radial duct not connected with a water pipe.

2. A water-heatergrid to support cooking utensils over gas or gasolene burners,

comprising an inner field of hollow grate bars arranged to form a central continuous duct of polygonal plan having its sides eX- tended at one end to form outwardly-disposed obliquely radial ducts in alinement with said sides, an outer continuous duct of polygonal plan similar to said central continuous duct and communicably connected at its angles with the outer ends of said radial ducts and having in its exterior walls threaded openings in alinement with its polygonal sides and in alinement with said radial ducts and adapted to receive threaded plugs and the threaded ends of watersupply pipes.

3. A water-heater grid for gas or gasolene stoves, comprising an inner continuous polygonal duct, an outer continuous polygo: nal duct having on its outer edge at its verteXes threaded openings adapted to receive removable plugs and water-pipe connections, and obliquely-radial ducts having their inner ends communicably connected with said inner polygonal duct at its verteXes and in alinement with its sides and having their outer ends communicahly connected with said outer polygonal -duct at the inner angles opposite to the threaded. openings at the vertexes.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MADISON ASA SPEAK.

lVitnesses 2 M. A. MCDONALD, M. L. Vimsoo'rnN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ."D. G. 

